Customer Reviews

Acing Property (Acing (Thomson West))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The pros:
The book is short, to the point, and has simply to follow explanations. It presents the material a couple of different ways, and is overall easy to grasp.

The cons:
Oddly, there are A LOT of typos in the book. Some are minor misspelling and random letters, but others are more crucial-such as terms like 'buyer' and 'seller' being switched. I guess it keeps you on your toes....Also, the book barely covers easements and doesn't cover zoning at all. So, if your class focused on these topics, I would not suggest it.

I don't think I'll be 'acing' my exam because of the book, but I think it helped. I found the Acing Contracts book to be a lot more helpful.

Many students in my class utilized this resource to understand first year property concepts. Acing Property's analysis of present and future interests is absolutely invaluable - this book was so much more clear than our assigned textbook! Also: this book is a great guide for a first year law student to understand the process of breaking down case briefs and class notes into a concise outline. I would definitely recommend Acing Property to any first year property student!

This book was a great resource when it came time for reviewing and studying for the exam. Our first year property was split between two professors and this book followed both of the classes. I liked this book best because it gave me a concise outline for the whole course in the form of a step-by-step checklist. The checklist was especially great for present/future interests, rule against perpetuities, and landlord/tenant problems because most of that is just knowing the rules and being able to apply them. There are also problems at the end of each chapter that aren't too long and get right down to practicing using the rule in application. I bought 3 acing books, 2 Glannons, and 2 examples and explanations; I can say without a doubt that this book helped me prepare for first year exams the most. I would highly recommend getting this book.

The "Acing" series has been an essential part of my law school study routine.

Everyone has their own way of doing things, but I take a general approach.

First, you need to read your casebook; give every case and note the time of day it deserves.

Second, every week, sit down with "Property: Examples & Explanations" by Barlow Burke and Joseph Snoe (Wolters Kluwers; 3rd Edition) and your class notes. During the beginning of the semester, you should construct a "bone" outline; that is, just to topic headings and subheadings found in the chapter summary in the beginning of your casebook. Every week, sit down and distill your understanding of the material onto the outline; putting some "meat" onto those bones.

As the end of the semester approaches, your outline will be essentially complete. This is where "Acing" comes in.

Third, take "Acing Property," and put your outline through the "checklist test." Think of it as "auditing" your outline for accuracy and completeness. After all, that's really the "ONLY" reason you're nervous during finals. It's not because you're stupid. It's not because you're experiencing sudden memory loss. It's not because you were missing all semester. It's because you're new; you don't know if you "know everything you're supposed to know," and you don't have anyone there to tell you if you do. "Acing Property" does just that. It tells you, (1) "you missed this little detail on the law of finders," (2) "you completely failed to include an essential element of adverse possession," and (3) "you're done! your outline is complete! STOP!"

Of course, that means, just like with any "tool," you need to understand how to best use it so that you may get the most use out of it.

"Acing Property" is not a substitute for (1) reading the cases from the casebook, (2) reading the notes from the casebook, (3) taking good notes in class, (4) working through the examples & explanations from the other supplement, or (5) constructing your outline. If you think you can use it as a substitute for any of these things, you're going to get a "C-" in Property, at best. The more likely outcome will be a "D" - "F".

Instead, "Acing Property" is a very useful tool to know that you're "done" with the information compilation portion of your studying. In this sense, it is well-worth the money. Ask yourself this: "how much would you pay to know that you're done with your outline, and ready to start spending your limited time actually learning and applying your outline to old exams and problems?"

So take it for what it's worth, and good luck in law school.